Controversy ensues after WNBA finals move to matinee timeslot to accommodate NBA game

If you’re expecting to watch a potential WNBA championship-clinching game in prime time, you’ll be sadly disappointed.

The Women’s National Basketball Association announced Monday that Game 6 of the finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream was moved from 8 p.m. ET on Thursday to 12:30 p.m.

The game, being played at State Farm Arena, was moved to accommodate a National Basketball Association regular-season game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, which was already scheduled for the 8 p.m. slot.

The NBA game couldn’t be moved to another time or venue without changing either the NBA regular-season schedule or the WNBA Finals schedule.

Atlanta gets home matinee for Game 6 of WNBA finals, as NBA keeps primetime slot

“The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we’re excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a statement Monday.

“We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta.”

By playing Game 6 in the Hawks’ arena, the Dream can have more than 17,000 fans. The Dream’s usual home, Gateway Center Arena in suburban College Park, Ga., seats about 3,500.

In an open letter to fans shared on Reddit, the Dream’s ownership said it raised concerns two months ago for potential NBA schedule conflicts and reiterated them as the team moved through the playoffs. The club says the concerns “did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserve.”

Scheduling dilemma shouldn’t overshadow Game 6 of WNBA finals

“The Atlanta Dream has earned the right to be taken seriously,” the statement says. “Playing a midday game on a Thursday is not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for.”

Games 3 and 4 were played in a sold-out State Farm Arena. Fans bought tickets quickly for Thursday’s game, with more than 10,000 sold in the first 90 minutes that they were on sale, according to a Dream spokesperson. It’s now sold out, according to the Dream’s social-media account.

Valkyries fans in Golden State will have to tune in at 9:30 a.m. PT to watch the game live. Valkyries’ stars Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton told reporters on Tuesday that fans should call in sick to watch the game.

“Y’all know how to fake a cough and didn’t we all do that,” Stokes said.

Rapper Flavor Flav wrote on X that Thursday “was a paid holiday,” attaching a mock letter for people to fill out and hand to their workplaces.

“EVERYBODY WATCHES WOMEN’S SPORTS!” The letter says. “So please go ahead and approve that day off. Consider it your contribution to gender equality.”

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wrote on Bluesky that she endorsed Flavor Flav’s tweet.

Sports bars and cafes in the San Francisco Bay Area are holding morning watch parties, advertising for fans to call in sick or work from the venues.

Attendance for the WNBA has been the highest its ever been. Around 3.8 million attended games this season, including playoffs. The average number of fans per game will end up around 11,500, another record and up about 4.5 per cent over last year.

Either team would be a first-time champion and would make history along the way. If the Valkyries win Game 6, it will the fastest an expansion team has won a WNBA title in the league’s history, in only the second season of the team’s existence. If the Dream win Thursday, there will be a first Game 7 in a WNBA Finals.

If the Valkyries win Thursday, the team might also have to move their championship celebrations to another venue, in order to flip the court over in time for the Hawks-Cavaliers game.

With reports from The Associated Press